Chickpea Mac & B’nut Cheez

Maybe you thought it was impossible to make mac n cheese without any cheese and you definitely thought it was impossible to find pasta that is jam-packed with protein, gluten-free, low carb, & vegan. Well we’ve done them both here with the help of my friends at Banza!

Let’s go…

1 butternut squash

1 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

A sprinkle of Cayenne pepper (this is important to balance out the sweetness of the B’nut Squash)

1 tsp turmeric

Salt and pepper

1 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp earth balance vegan butter

1 package Banza chickpea macaroni

Water for cooking

Broccoli Florets – optional

1. Peel & Cut up butternut squash into cubes or buy already cubed butternut squash from Trader Joes for $2.29 a bag. You will need 2 bags. You can guess which way I did it…

2. Roast the B’nut squash in a 425 degree oven for about 25 minutes

3. Make cashew cheese sauce by soaking your cashews in water for at least 1 hour. Rinse and drain. Add cashews, nutritional yeast, & other spices to a food processor. Pulse until you have a paste. Slowly add vegetable broth and/or water until you get a smooth sauce.

5. Now the fun part! Get yourself some Banza Chickpea pasta here. Bring water to a boil, add salt and olive oil. Drop in your pasta and stir every so often for 3 – 5 minutes. Yup! That’s it 3 – 5 minutes is all it takes to cook up this amazing protein packed chickpea pasta!

5. Optional: In your pasta strainer throw in some raw broccoli florets and strain your pasta over them. The heat and steam of the pasta water will cook this broccoli just enough.

6. Throw your pasta & optional broccoli back in the pot and pour your CHEEZY B’nut sauce over it. Mix well. I had about half the sauce leftover and I was generous with it. So we can make this again tomorrow. You can start eating now or keep reading.

7. Pour your Chickpea Mac & B’nut Cheeze into a baking/casserole dish. Sprinkle some bread crumbs, smoked paprika, and more nutritional yeast on top. Cover with aluminum foil. Pop it back in the oven for 10 mins at 400 degrees. Remove foil and put on broil for another 10 minutes. Yum!!

Let’s eat!!!

Maybe you thought it was impossible to make mac n cheese without any cheese and you definitely thought it was impossible to find pasta that is jam-packed with protein, gluten-free, low carb, & vegan. Well we’ve done them both here with the help of my friends at Banza!

Let’s go…

1 butternut squash

1 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

A sprinkle of Cayenne pepper (this is important to balance out the sweetness of the B’nut Squash)

1 tsp turmeric

Salt and pepper

1 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp earth balance vegan butter

1 package Banza chickpea macaroni

Water for cooking

Broccoli Florets – optional

1. Peel & Cut up butternut squash into cubes or buy already cubed butternut squash from Trader Joes for $2.29 a bag. You will need 2 bags. You can guess which way I did it…

2. Roast the B’nut squash in a 425 degree oven for about 25 minutes

3. Make cashew cheese sauce by soaking your cashews in water for at least 1 hour. Rinse and drain. Add cashews, nutritional yeast, & other spices to a food processor. Pulse until you have a paste. Slowly add vegetable broth and/or water until you get a smooth sauce.

5. Now the fun part! Get yourself some Banza Chickpea pasta here. Bring water to a boil, add salt and olive oil. Drop in your pasta and stir every so often for 3 – 5 minutes. Yup! That’s it 3 – 5 minutes is all it takes to cook up this amazing protein packed chickpea pasta!

5. Optional: In your pasta strainer throw in some raw broccoli florets and strain your pasta over them. The heat and steam of the pasta water will cook this broccoli just enough.

6. Throw your pasta & optional broccoli back in the pot and pour your CHEEZY B’nut sauce over it. Mix well. I had about half the sauce leftover and I was generous with it. So we can make this again tomorrow. You can start eating now or keep reading.

7. Pour your Chickpea Mac & B’nut Cheeze into a baking/casserole dish. Sprinkle some bread crumbs, smoked paprika, and more nutritional yeast on top. Cover with aluminum foil. Pop it back in the oven for 10 mins at 400 degrees. Remove foil and put on broil for another 10 minutes. Yum!!

Let’s eat!!!

About the Author

I live for Green Juice and French Fries and knowing that a well-balanced life means having both and having them often.

I am a self-taught cook, caught in a not-so-secret love affair with vegetables. Inspired by vegan & vegetarian chefs, www.GreenJuiceandFrenchFries.com was born. A place where you can find recipes for delicious treats and healthy eats, all in one place… because who says you can’t have it all?